Because you're my best friend, that's why
by Girlonfirebetch
Summary: Kaede Rukawa, resident hearthrob, super rookie and so called ice-prince. Famous for his indifferent,cold,and expressionless face, quite the opposite of his best and only close friend, Hikaru Izumi. What happens when Kaede starts to develop more serious feelings for her that she can't quite reciprocate? Will he change for her?... I SUCK AT THIS SUMMARY :p RukawaxOC
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Slam Dunk or its characters. They belong to Takehiko Inoue. I only own Hikaru Izumi and some other minor characters not found in the manga or anime.**

**Chapter 1**

"Aya-chaaaan!"

"Hurry, or we'll be late"

"I'm sorry. I had this amazing dream that's why I woke up late"

"It's your first day of junior high. You don't want to make a bad impression now, do you?"

Hikaru Izumi, Height: 148cm. Age: 12 running 13.

Hikaru put on her shoes clumsily and followed her big sister out. She was entering Tomigaoka Junior High with her big sis Ayako. Ayako was a basketball fangirl while Hikaru stuck with her baseball. She could never understand why her sister loved that orange ball and how people dribbled and tossed it around.

"Aya-chan, are the people in your junior high nice?" asked the young and curious Hikaru

"Depends if they'll like you or not" Ayako laughed in reply. Her little sister looked worried. "But don't worry. I'm sure you'll be fine. They've got a baseball team for boys and for girls too"

Hikaru's eyes widened and brightened upon hearing this. She knew the first club she'd join.

Now Hikaru's baseball skills were not exceptional but she wasn't too bad. She had only started about a year ago and now she wanted to push through with the sport.

_In Tomigaoka Junior High…_

"You'll find room 1 class 5 easily. That was my room last year too" Ayako instructed her sister and went on to her floor.

Hikaru was nervous now that she was alone. _Will I make friends?_ She thought to herself as she arrived at her classroom's doorstep. Inside, there were still only a few students on their seats and Hikaru made her way to the back seat, leaving the chair beside the window empty. _No distractions…_ After a while, a black-haired boy with pale skin arrived. He looked really sleepy as he slumped on the seat by Hikaru's left; the seat she left empty. And before she could say a word, he fell asleep on his table.

The boy slept for the most part until waking up when his name was called for attendance.

"Kaede Rukawa, are you here?" the teacher called

"Present" the boy replied sleepily, yawning as well. He didn't hear anybody else's name earlier for he was asleep. He scanned the room full of students and saw the girl on his right. She had shoulder-length black hair and pale-ish skin as well.

Hikaru did well in her academics but not well enough to make some friends of her own. Every lunch hour, she'd spend her time sitting under the shade of the school's rooftop without anyone bothering her at all. She had the same lunch for two weeks now (rice, boiled eggs with sushi and wasabi) inside her bento. One Tuesday morning, she sat in her sanctuary and gazed at the clear blue sky with her bento on her lap. Today was the day she'd try out for the girls' baseball team. Fingers crossed, and a hope high, Hikaru ate her lunch to fuel her for later's tryouts.

Unknowingly, she fell asleep in the middle of her lunch….

Scrunching her eyes and stretching her back, Hikaru woke up. Was her vision playing with her or was there really someone in front of her. She squinted for a bit and rubbed her eyes. Nope, there really was someone there. A boy sat just across her, elbows on his crossed legs and chin resting on his palms.

"You've been asleep for half an hour and you didn't finish your lunch" the boy spoke in a low, lazy voice.

"Ru-Rukawa-kun? How did you find me here?" Hikaru asked, straightening her back

"Do'aho, I wasn't looking for you. I just happen to sneak up here to get a nap"

A visible vein emerged from Hikaru's forehead. _Do'aho? You dare call me a do'aho?! _She screamed inside her head. Steam was coming from her head.

The boy stood up and Hikaru realized how tall he was, for a twelve-year old. From then on, she envied his height and worked hard to be nearly as tall as him. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a sound. The sound of stomach grumbling… It was Kaede's grumbling stomach.

"Pfff…" Hikaru tried hard to hold her laugh. "You haven't eaten lunch yet, have you?" She smiled.

Kaede ignored her comment and headed for the door but Hikaru stopped him halfway.

"I can't finish my lunch. Here, you eat it" she smiled, handing him her bento. He could see that she had only eaten half of its contents but he was too shy to accept help.

"Stop insulting me. I'm not hungry" was all he replied.

She grabbed his hand and placed the bento upon it. "It's a friendly gesture. Try to tell the difference" With that, she headed for the door and left Kaede all alone. He stared at the half-eaten lunch consisting of rice, boiled egg and sushi with a bit of wasabi left. _Do'aho_…

**so far, still not that interesting... but hope you guys will keep posted. Promise to try to make it more interesting :) **

**comment...rate...violent reactions.. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next day…

"All right gather up freshmen!" Akane-sensei called out to her band of new recruits for Tomigaoka Girls' Baseball team. "The first three names I'll be calling have made it as starters"

Hikaru knew she didn't excel during the tryouts but she hoped and prayed hard she'd make it as a starter or even just make the team as a benchwarmer. _Please call my name sensei…_

"Mika Hontou, Rei Shimamoto and…"

The remaining girls were nervous and praying hard with their fingers crossed.

"Hikami Shigeno! Congratualtions"

Hikaru felt her heart stop beating… _I didn't make it? But there are still the benchwarmers! Maybe I will have a chance._

..She was wrong…

"Sakura Akai, Keiko Shinichi, Rinko Honda and Maruko Kagami are benchwarmers. Congratulations to theseven of you freshmen who have MADE IT to the team. The rest, maybe this isn't the sport for you"

As the others walked away, Hikaru stood frozen. Her heart had not just stopped; it shattered into a million pieces. _ I didn't even make it as a benchwarmer_. A pat from the coach saying, "Izumi, maybe you're just not cut out for this. Don't cry" had Hikaru walking away with her head down. Hikaru tried hard to fight back her tears but she couldn't win. She ran to her sanctuary and sat there, crying.

She didn't know what time it was or how long she had been crying but she stayed there, crouched down and head buried in her arms.

"What are you crying for?" came a cold voice all too familiar to her. She looked up and saw Kaede looking at her emotionlessly. "I couldn't sleep because of your sobbing"

Hikaru was embarrassed and she tried to hide her face but her *sniffs* were all too loud. Unexpectedly, Kaede sat down beside her ad handed her his uniform jacket. "Wipe your eyes do'aho" he said.

Hikaru as too shocked at his gesture to even make a comment or reply. She just stared at him for a minute before he began wiping her tears for her. Getting carried away, she took the sleeve and blew her nose.

"Baka! I told you to wipe your tears not blow your nose!" he cried

Somehow, Hikaru forgot why she was crying and started laughing at him. "Gomen, I was just carried away"

"The heck you were" he scoffed, looking at his sleeve soaked in a wet substance.

After a few minutes, Kaede asked her again, "What were you crying for?"

"I didn't make it to the girls' baseball team (sniffs) Akane-sensei said I wasn't cut out for baseball"

"The prove her wrong"

"Nani?"

Kaede had a different look in his face. "Show her she's wrong"

Hikaru was silenced as she listened to the strange Kaede. Somehow that boy talking to her did NOT seem like the drooling twelve-year old that sat beside her in class. He looked serious about what he said.

"You have you to practice hard and tryout again. I'm no baseball fan but it's the same way with basketball"

"You play basketball? Are you in the basketball team?"

Kaede nodded. He was in fact, the youngest. Hikaru's eyes widened in amazement. There was something more than sleep to this Kaede Rukawa boy.

"By the way, th-th-" He somehow found it difficult to get those words out of his mouth. "Thanks for yesterday. Although the sushi was smeared with too much wasabi, it was good. That was the first time anyone's shared lunch with me"

For a moment Kaede thought he was blushing as he spoke, but his pale skin soon showed. The two kept talking until they fell asleep again…

**comments... violent reactions... feel free guys :) huwag mahiya**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**...Shohoku high..**

"Ru-chaaan!"

_Now in their first year at Shohoku High School…_

"Ru-chaaaan!"

Kaede turned around sleepily to see where that loud, embarrassing noise came from. Within a span of three years, Kaede Rukawa grew from 162 to 186 cm and he was the apple of the eyes of Shohoku's female population. He turned around to see a tall girl, with similar short raven-colored hair as his. As the girl came near, she playfully punched his side, which certainly woke him up.

"Don't act like you didn't see me Ru-chan" she laughed

"And don't call me that. We're not in junior high anymore" he frowned.

Hikaru Izumi had also grown and improved in her baseball skills a hundredfold. She had grown from 148 cm to 178cm. Being that tall, she easily stood out among a crowd of girls. She had also cut off her shoulder-length hair, saying that she liked Rukawa's hair and decided to copy it.

"I grew 30cm and you're still taller than me?!" Hikaru exclaimed

"I was already taller than you to begin with" he replied coldly but not cruelly.

"Ru-chan, which classroom do you belong to?"

"1-10 and stop calling me 'Ru-chan'"

"I'm only joking. I won't humiliate you here in high school but I'll still call you 'Ru-chan' outside of school" she smiled

As the two walked through the busy hallway of the first year floor, people were stunned to see the two tall people who shared similar bearings except that the girl was smiling a bit. The girls blushed as Kaede walked by, who simply didn't care about the crowd, and envied the lucky girl walking right next to him. As they approached room 1-1, Hikaru bid her best friend goodbye. "Don't sleep in class, okay?" she teased and went inside her room. Her presence was immediately felt as she entered the room, although it wasn't full of people yet. Scanning an empty seat on the third row, she took it and sat down. People still stared at her and began whispering.

"She's so tall"

"Isn't she Hikaru Izumi from Tomigaoka Junior High?"

"The baseball superstar?"

"Hai! That's her"

Hikaru paid no heed to the attention she was getting. _It sure wasn't like this in my first day of Junior High_, she thought to herself. Minutes later, a petite, auburn-haired girl came in and took the seat next to her. A week later, they were friends.

About three weeks had passed and there certainly was much going on. Kaede had not only caught the eyes of majority of Shohoku's girls, but also a certain redhead. Hanamichi Sakuragi had once head-butted Kaede in the rooftop for being so cold towards a certain Haruko Akagi. Since then, Kaede had met his lifelong rival. Hikaru was left in shock after seeing his forehead wrapped in bandage. Of course, he was also in the basketball team as she was in the baseball team.

One lunch break, as usual, the two sat on their 'secret rooftop spot' to have a nap while Hikaru ate. It was spring and the cool breeze blew her skirt slightly upwards. She was quick to pull them down since Kaede was still looking at her. He turned pink and pretended to look away. Hikaru glared at him. "Don't even think about it Kaede"

"I wasn't even looking at your skirt" he said, unflinching. Somehow, that seemed awkward for him to say

"Hnh! Anyway Kaede, I see you've become really popular with the ladies" she teased

"They're annoying" was his cold reply. Kaede had easily acquired a group of fangirls who follow him to almost wherever he went. Thank goodness the rooftop was just his and Hikaru. "What about you? Any guys following you around?" His tone seemed more serious when he asked her about guys following her around.

Hikaru laughed aloud and smacked Kaede in the head. "Shut up Ru-chan! Guys are afraid of me" she laughed harder. Growing up, Hikaru had this slight insecurity about her looks especially when Ayako would stand next to her. Yes she was taller, but she had always believed Ayako to be the pretty one without knowing that SOMEONE might disagree with her. "Ayako's the pretty one, not me" she laughed again. Somehow, this never really bothered her because she was focused on her baseball.

"Ow" he flinched a little, rubbing the area where Hikaru had hit him. "I thought you wouldn't call me _Ru-chan_ when we're in school"

"Aww, but I want to. Can't I just call you 'Ru-chan' when we're alone? I think it's really cute" she pleaded, using her puppy-dog eyes, which often worked.

"Fine" Kaede blushed. "But only when we're alone"

Hikaru felt like changing the subject… "Anyway, how are you and that Hanamichi guy? Isn't he in the basketball team too?"

"That do'aho, joining the team without even knowing the basics" he scoffed. He found Hanamichi so annoying.

"Oneechan and Haruko have told me that Shohoku will be having a practice match against Ryonan next week. Who are they?"

"They're in the top 4"

Hikaru's eyes widened in awe. Shohoku would get a chance to play against one of Kanagawa's best teams. She beamed with excitement. "Sou ka. I hope I can watch you guys. Will Kogure-sempai be playing as well?" She blushed as she mentioned his name.

Kaede looked at his friend's expression as she mentioned 'Kogure-sempai'. He saw how nervous she was when he was helping her out that day. _Was he suddenly jealous of Kogure?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 (how HIkaru got into the team and how she met Kogure-sempai)**

"Swing it hard Hikaru-chan!"

"Go for it!"

Hikaru eyed the pitcher as she studied the ball. _Will this be a ball, or a strike?_ The pitcher swung her arms and gave a fastball. The ball swirled towards Hikaru as it looked to defy the laws of physics. Hikaru was no superstar for nothing. She swung the bat hard and the ball flew as far as it could, giving time for her to run three bases. Not yet a homerun, but it left her future teammates' jaws open. She got the approval of her sempai and made it to the team easily. Despite being the youngest in the team, Hikaru was the tallest and considered as one of the best in just a short span of time. Nanami Mori, team captain, was delighted with her new lineup. Their goal was to be number one this year and win the nationals.

Because they were new, Hikaru and some freshmen members of the team helped out in the locker room. On her way to the locker room, Hikaru was carrying a box full of equipment. She was too preoccupied in her happy thoughts to even bother to look at where she was going. She was not aware that it was the wrong door she was opening.

"Heeey! Gomen for being laa-" before she could finish, Hikaru walked straight into a slippery floor and next thing she knew, her but was on the hard floor, with the equipment rolling all over. The box had also fallen into her head. "ow"

The people in the room were shocked to see the girl on the floor. A girl inside the basketball men's locker room?

Being the nice gentleman that he was, he ran to the girl and pulled the box away. "A-are you all right?" he asked.

It was from that moment on that Hikaru's views towards men changed (with the exception of Kaede). _I guess there are really nice guys too_, she thought to herself as her face turned pink. _His glasses make him even cuter…_

"Kogure-sempai, is she all right?" asked one of the players, (Hikaru would later know him as 'Yasu')

_K-Kogure? What a beautiful name_… Hikaru was not recovering from her blush.

"You really fell hard. Are you okay?" Kogure smiled, pulling her up. He was surprised at how tall she was (same as his height)

"Y-yeah, it was nothing. I've fallen harder before" she replied awkwardly. _Nice going…._

"You're the baseball team's manager?"

_Oh gosh he's really cute…_

"I-I play for the team"

Kogure let go of her hand and picked up the baseball bats that fell. "I see. You must still be a freshman seeing as you got lost on your way to the locker room. This is the basketball team's" He smiled again, putting the bats inside the box.

"Please, you don't have to do that sempai" Hikaru rushed to pick up the gloves and balls and placed them inside the box.

Kogure only smiled at her, his eyes twinkling from behind those round frames of his glasses. He picked up the box and turned to Yasu and the others. "I'll accompany her to her locker room first"

Hikaru now turned red. She tried getting the box from Kogure but he insisted on helping her out instead. _He's too perfect…_ she thought. He then escorted her out of the locker room and they walked through the hallway. While Kogure carried the box, Hikaru held a couple of bats to lighten the load. She was red the whole time.

"So how long have you been playing baseball?"

"Ah? S-since I was eleven. It's only been four years" Hikaru couldn't speak straight when answering him. This was the first time she stammered and felt shy talking to a guy.

"Sorry for being rude but I should have introduced myself. It's not good to talk to strangers" He smiled. "I'm Kiminobu Kogure as you might have heard Yasu call me earlier" He would have offered to shake her hand but he was carrying the box.

Kogure was the first guy Hikaru had ever had a crush on, before she realized who truly was for her…

"Hi-Hikaru I-zu-mi" she replied. _Can't even answer him straight?_

"Izumi? You don't happen to know Ayako, do you?"

_He knows Ayako? Of course he does! Oneechan's the manager of the basketball team. Do'aho…_

"Y-yeah. She's actually, uhm, she's my si-sister"

"Hah?!" Kogure stopped in his tracks. He wasn't the first to be shocked upon hearing that Ayako and Hikaru were sisters.

Of course, most of the people's first impression would never have been that they were sisters. They looked different in many ways. Ayako had long, curly hair while Hikaru and smooth, short hair. Ayako was just about the average height of a Japanese woman while Hikaru was taller than most. Ayako was also, er, 'fuller' in figure than Hikaru, who was proud with her smaller chest. Although both were tomboyish, Ayako was more capable of being lady-like than Hikaru. If she didn't wear Shohoku's girls uniform, and faced the back, Hikaru might have been mistaken as a young boy with slender build.

"I know, most people are surprised when they find out that we're sisters"

Before Kogure could reply, they had arrived in front of the girls' locker room. The door was opened by one of Hikaru's teammates. "Hikaru, where've you been? Kogure-kun?" the senior was surprised to see the basketball player in front of their locker room.

"Hai, gomen Sakura-san. I got lost"

"She accidentally walked inside our changing room and slipped on our wet floor. Our apologies"

Despite the unpleasant heat between the baseball team and basketball team (the captain for the men's team had always openly mocked Akagi and the basketball team for being in the bottom half of Kanagawa), Kogure was friendly towards everyone. Hikaru had yet much to learn about the two teams' history.

Kogure didn't need to enter the changing room to put the equipment down. Hikaru and Sakura were very able to do it themselves. After bidding them goodbye, Kogure left. Sakura noticed the freshman's blushing face and started teasing her.

**she has a crush on our beloved Megane-kun! hahaha xD**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Shohoku-Ryonan practice game was on a Saturday, in the afternoon (yay!) Hikaru came along with Haruko and her two friends for the game. The three of them were running as fast as they could, trying to keep up with Hikaru. Haruko was enthusiastically chugging her friends to hurry up.

"Hurry you guys! We might miss the start of the game" Haruko called out. She didn't need to tell Hikaru that because she was already up ahead.

Fortunately, they made it before it even started and arrived panting heavily. Haruko's pig-tailed friend glared at her for making them run so fast. Haruko sweatdropped and smiled nervously. Just across them were three girls dressed in cheerleading outfits.

"We can't let them beat us"

"Right! We'll cheer loud and proud"

Hikaru was amazed at the dedicated Rukawa fangirls. Although she knew her best friend was popular, she had never seen those cheerleaders.

"Promise me you won't do that too Haruko" said one friend

"Of course not. Never" Haruko gasped

"Hard to say, you women"

As the players emerged, Hikaru saw her big sister and waved frantically "Aya-chaaaaan!". This caused Ayako to pop a vein in embarrassment. She sweatdropped. Then when everyone saw Kaede, the cheerleaders started chanting "Ru-ka-wa! L-O-V-E Rukawa! Fight! Fight!"

"They're really passionate, aren't they?" Hikaru laughed

"You should see them during practice hours too" Haruko replied. Hikaru seemed really excited

"Too bad though. I've got practice as well. But Aya-chan tells me about it and Hanamichi too"

Five minutes 'til game time, Ryonan's coach was pacing nervously. They were waiting for someone. Stirring up trouble as usual, Hanamichi walked up to Ryonan's players and announced that he was going to beat Sendoh, if he ever came. Suddenly, the door opened and in came a tall man with spiky hair. "Hey!" he called out. The boy had a serious lecture by his angry coach before he changed to his uniform. As the game was about to start, Akagi and Kogure were shocked to see that Hanamichi had found his way towards Sendoh. They were talking before Sendoh smiled and shook Hanamichi's hand.

The game started…

While the girls screamed for Rukawa, with Haruko swooning everytime he made a dunk, Hikaru was mesmerized by Kogure's strategic play despite not being at par with Rukawa.

At the end of the game, though Shohoku lost, it was only by one point. For the first time in his life, Kaede Rukawa had met someone who really challenged him in basketball and his name was Akira Sendoh. Despite the loss and a new rival, Hikaru was overwhelmed by Kaede's play. Of course, she also complimented Kogure's play as being very mature and strategic.

That night, Hikaru gushed about the game to her big sister, saying that Kogure was great in leading the team while Akagi was away, and that his crucial 3-pointer helped a lot.

"Hikaru if I didn't know any better, I think you have a crush on Kogure-sempai" Ayako teased, giggling at her sister.

"Nani?! Is it that obvious?" Hikaru cried out, turning red again. "Do you think he knows?"

Ayako laughed at her gushing sister. "I don't know. He usually treats everyone nicely. I don't think he'll notice unless you turn bright red in front of him"

"Aya-chan, stop teasing" Hikaru pouted, jumping on her sister's bed. "Don't tell him please"

"Does Kaede know?"

"Nani? Why do you ask?"

Silence… Ayako didn't want to be the one to tell her but she knew her sister was no idiot. _Maybe later she'll know for herself.._

"Ah, I mean did you tell your best friend about this new crush?"

"Nani Aya-chan?!" Hikaru blushed "If I tell Ru-chan, he'll laugh at me and tease me. Plus, he's on the basketball team with Kogure-sempai"

What a dumb reason. Wasn't Ayako also the manager of the team? She had a bigger chance of telling Kogure than Kaede thanks to her big mouth. Ne, Hikaru trusted her sister and she needed advice from a fellow teenager.

"Never mind about that now. Go back to your room. I've got homework"

Hikaru left Ayako in peace and headed back to her own room where she was greeted with English, Math and History homework. She lumped on her chair and began working.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**_*insert usual disclaimer*..._**

A loud thud came from Hikaru's room followed by a sharp cry. _8:15._ She was going to be late if she didn't hurry. Without fully buttoning her vest and leaving an untied bow hanging down her neck, Hikaru grabbed a slice of bread and dashed outside their house. Bag in both arms, Hikaru put on her skates and speeded up.

"Stupid dreams keeping me in deep sleep" Hikaru cursed under her breath. She had been dreaming about Kogure last night that's why. "Kuso!"

Near the entrance to Shohoku High, as she skated as fast as her legs could go, Hikaru spotted a bicycle being driven by a half asleep rider. "Ru-chan!" she called out. Kaede's blood rushed as he heard and turned to where the voice was coming from. He saw Hikaru skating towards him, waving her hands frantically. He was wide awake now. She was speeding up and lost control as she got nearer. Hitting the protruding part of the uneven track, Hikaru flew and landed on Kaede, who was now in between Hikaru and the bike. Some students saw the commotion and were frightened for the girl. She had just landed on Kaede Rukawa; he was going to be furious about this

"Ru-chan I'm so sorry" Hikaru gasped "Are you all right?"

"Watch where you're going" he grumbled

Hikaru got herself back to her feet and helped Kaede to his. She apologized for the crash and for embarrassing him literally in front of the school. Of course, since it was Hikaru, he didn't boil with anger. Kaede took notice of a bruise on Hikaru's knee.

"That looks bad" he said, pointing at the bleeding knee

Apparently, Hikaru had not felt the bruise until Kaede pointed it out. It did stung _a little_. Feeling guilty, Kaede bent low and placed his arms behind Hikaru's back and legs, and swooped her up from the ground.

"Nani Ru-Kaede?! Put me down" she winced and turned red. "Everyone's looking at us"

"Stop moving too much. You know how heavy you are? I can't let you parade around with a bleeding knee"

"Kaede never mind. I'm fine. I can walk"

"Shut up. We'll get that cleaned"

The students who were outside saw Kaede carrying a girl in his arms. They were staring in shock. Up on the Year 1 floor, Haruko and her friends were looking outside the window when suddenly…

"Isn't that Kaede?!" pointed out Miharu (or so I think that was her name)

"Where?" Haruko shrieked and turned pink all over. She eyed the whole place before seeing what her friend pointed at

"And isn't that Hikaru?" pointed out the other, Fujii. "I never knew they were close"

Haruko looked unhappy and _slightly_ jealous, and so were many other girls. Weeks ago, when she tried talking to him and helping him with his wound from Hanamichi's head-butt, he ignored her and told her she was annoying him. When Kaede's fearsome cheerleading trio saw the scene as well, they were all too unhappy and furious

"How dare she touch our Kaede!?" cursed one

"Who does she think she is?!" said another

"I can't believe she's making him carry her around!"

Arriving at the lockers, Hikaru managed to convince Kaede to put her down. All the attention wasn't very pleasing to her as she felt the glares of the female students pierce her from behind.

"There you are" came a voice from behind. It was Ayako "You're finally awake"

"Aya-chan, why didn't you wake me up?!"

"Eh? I didn't want to because you were having such a good dream. You were even saying-" she realized to stop talking when Hikaru's eyes were burning with fire. "Eh hehe, well you know. I guess I better go" then she dashed away.

"Do'aho, you didn't even fix your uniform" Kaede said in his usual cold voice. He walked up to her and tied her bow for her

Now that she was all done, and classes were about to start, Hikaru thanked Kaede and dashed to her room. As she made her way to her seat, classmates' eyes followed her. The teacher came in after a couple of minutes and English class began. Somehow, Haruko couldn't concentrate, thinking about Kaede and Hikaru.

_She never told me…_ Haruko thought, giving out a loud sigh. The teacher heard this and was infuriated.

"Akagi-san, please translate the passage mentioned earlier"

Haruko was back to the real world adorned with question marks on her head. "Eh, sensei I… I didn't hear you"

The class burst on silent laughter and the teacher called on Hikaru to translate. "Izumi-san, I hope you paid attention"

Hikaru stood up, scratched her head and began translating. "Hai. As she gazed out the window, the cold breeze met her face. She saw the white snow fall like feathers to the ground. The footsteps were evident, inviting her to jump and follow the trail. The mystery-"

"Thank you. That was good"

"Hai. Arigatou sensei"

_The bell rang… Lunch break_

Students were emerging from their classrooms in unison. Haruko's eyes followed Hikaru as she went outside. She got up and decided to see where she was going. It was easy to spot Hikaru from the crowd since her head popped up in the sea of people.

Hikaru walked through the hallway and into the cafeteria. In her frantic hurry this morning, she forgot the bento Ayako left for her and now she had to buy cafeteria food and eat with the crowd. When she found herself a table, Haruko approached her. Trying to find a good conversation starter, she pointed at the bandage around Hikaru's knee.

"Are you all right? What happened to your knee?"

"Haruko! Oh, it's nothing really. Just fell of the tracks and bruised it" she smiled. "Good thing he carried me to the lockers"

"Kaede?"

"Oh, you saw too" Hikaru flushed. "I guess everyone saw that"

Haruko grabbed the seat across Hikaru and pulled out her bento. "Can I sit here too?"

"Sure, sure! No problem. Please do"

The two girls ate together in awkward silence until both decided to open a conversation. They spoke in unison.

"Ah, you go first Haruko" Hikaru offered

"Well, I was just wondering. No, I mean, you and Kaede… you two seem pretty close" Haruko found it hard to speak straight

Hikaru looked confused at Haruko's expression. She scratched her head again. "Well, we've been best friends since junior high. He's like a little brother to me"

"Nani?"

"Well, I forced him to call me 'big sis' because I'm a couple of months older" she laughed. "He wouldn't let me call him Oniichan so I call him Ru-chan instead. Though, he now finds it embarrassing"

Haruko was shocked. _She went to Tomigaoka as well? Why hadn't she seen her in those basketball matches between Tomigaoka and Yonchu High?_

"You go to the same school? How come I've never seen you in his practice matches against Yonchu?"

"Ah, well I wasn't really a fan of basketball because I'm into baseball. I'd only watch him play if I didn't have practice or if he's pestering me to come and watch"

Haruko turned red. She envied Hikaru so much because she was practically the only girl, aside from Ayako, whom Kaede spoke to. Not only that, they were also BEST FRIENDS! And how lucky she was to be 'pestered' by Kaede to watch him play basketball. Haruko stared into blankness and forgot that she was sitting in front of Hikaru.

"You're really lucky" Haruko whispered, smiling down on her food.

"Why's that?" Hikaru had her mouth stuffed with food and her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's

"Because you get to talk to Kaede while he ignores everyone else"

Haruko realized that she was blurting out her 'crush' on Kaede and decided to shut her mouth. She turned red again. Seeing this, Hikaru started laughing.

"Hikaru, what's so funny? Don't tell him I said this to you"

"Ahaha!" she crunched her stomach. "Why are you girls in love with him? He's like a zombie and I keep telling him that"

"No, don't say that Hikaru. He-he's not…"

"I'm sorry Haruko" Hikaru tried her best to stop laughing, wiping her eye. "He even sleeps while riding his bike" she laughed again. Somehow, Haruko found this funny and laughed along as well.

Suddenly, their short amusement was cut short when three girls approached their table. They weren't looking too happy.

"Hey, you better watch it Izumi" threatened the leader of the group

"What should I watch, Chiro?" Hikaru replied sarcastically

"We saw how you were flirting with our Kaede and we'll never forgive you!"

"Nani? Flirting?" Hikaru laughed under her breath

"Hey, don't start Chiro. Hikaru says they're only friends" Haruko spoke, defending her friend

"Stay out of this Haruko. Don't you also like Kaede? You should be against Izumi if I may say so"

Many of the students were intrigued by the little confrontation happening between Hikaru and Chiro. They began whispering amongst themselves. Chiro and Hikaru had a glaring contest for quite some time before Haruko broke them apart. "Yamerou"

"This isn't the end Izumi" Chiro hissed and walked away. Many of Kaede's other fangirls who were in the cafeteria that time were glaring at Hikaru and giggling amongst them. For this, Hikaru didn't mind at all. So what if her best friend happened to be the most desired bachelor in the campus? Anyway she's got her crush on Kiminobu Kogure, the Megane gentleman.

**comment...critique...violent reactions ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 (filler chapter)**

***_disclaimer*_**

After classes, Hikaru skidded away to the sports department. She was on her way to practice when she overhead some voices by a corner. She didn't really want to bother until she heard one of the voices call out "Megane!" and she had this upsetting feeling that they might have been talking to Kogure. Running towards the corner, she was terrified to see Kogure and Yasuda being cornered by four large guys. From the looks of their faces, they were seniors.

"You think just because you guys are athletes, we won't come at you?" said one of the large people. From the looks of things, he might have been their leader. He grabbed Yasuda by the collar, seeing that he was much shorter.

"S-stop it Hotta-kun. We've got to get to practice" Kogure pleaded, pulling Hotta's hand away from Yasuda

Hotta was annoyed but he found Kogure's glasses more amusing so he pulled them off Kogure's face. "Hey!" he winced.

"Nice glasses you got here. They remind of a certain character from this book I read" Hotta kept toying with Kogure's glasses and the rest of his gang laughed while one held on to Yasuda.

"From the looks of things, I never thought you could read" Everyone turned to where the sound came from and they were surprised to see its owner. There stood the tall, slim figure of Hikaru Izumi, holding her duffle bag in one hand, and the other hand on her hips. She had this fierce look in her eyes yet her lips produced a thin, mischievous curl.

"W-who are you?" asked one of the guys. He also had glasses on

"Hikaru Izumi, year 1 class 1 and I'm here to stop whatever it is you're trying to do" she replied coolly and suavely. These were some traits she caught from always hanging around with Kaede Rukawa.

Instead of scowling at her, Hotta and his gang began laughing out loud. Kogure and Yasuda were even more worried for Hikaru's sake.

"Run while you still can, Hikaru-san!" Kogure called out before getting hit in the face by one of the guys.

"Sempai!" Yasuda and Hikaru shouted in unison.

However hard he may have been hit, Kogure stood still and calm. He even managed to smile a little bit. "Don't mind us here"

"Yeah, you heard what the Megane said. Stay out or else"

"Or else what?" Hikaru dropped her duffle bag and folded her arms. "Or else I'm next?" The thought of a brawl somehow amused or excited her. She turned her calm and composed stand to a brawl-ready stance, motioning for any of them to attack first. "You're not scared of a girl now, are you?" she smirked

"Hikaru don't-"

Before Kogure and Yasuda could finish what they said, one of the guys charged towards Hikaru with his fist clenched. Everything happened so fast that the next thing he knew, he was now lying flat on the ground. Hikaru, with her fast reflexes, grabbed the man's arm and flipped him over using only half of her strength. She looked over at the rest of them and one more was coming at her. Although this one needed a little bit more effort since he was much bigger than the first. Hikaru managed to dodge the punch and kicked him between his legs before delivering an uppercut. This one too, fell to the ground. Now only Hotta and the other Megane were left. For this round, Hikaru was the first to charge at them. Just as the Megane lifted his foot to kick her, Hikaru bent backwards and slid underneath, like how a baseball player runs to reach the base. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back. _Good thing this one's just my height_, she thought to herself, admiring her accomplishment. Now that the three men were struggling to get up, Hikaru eyed Hotta, who was too frightened to see such skills from a girl. To avoid further damage, Hotta ran away, followed by his gangmates.

Flipping her hair and picking up her duffle bag as if nothing happened, she turned to Kogure and Yasuda. "Are you guys all right? Sorry about that"

The two boys were still in shock at what had just happened. Finally, Kogure managed to move his mouth and utter some words. "Y-you... I mean, that was really surprising from a girl. I never knew you were a skilled a fighter"

Hikaru flushed at Kogure's remark and cupped her cheeks with her hands. "N-no it's not what you think sempai. I-I-I've never been to a fight. I-it was just pure reflex and everything I learned from baseball" She tried hard to defend herself and not make herself too obvious towards her crush.

Kogure and Yasuda were still I shock, sweatdropping. The thought that one girl could knock out three guys larger than herself was astounding but Hikaru begged the boys not to say a word to Ayako or Kaede.

"She'll kill me if she finds out" Hikaru sighed


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

***insert usual disclaimer***

**thanks sososososo much for the couple reviews :) **

Only a month in her first year and Hikaru had gained the unwanted attention of two frightening groups: Hotta's gang of seniors and those crazy Rukawa fangirls.

Chiro and her mates were obviously planning their revenge on Hikaru but they weren't sure how. Firstly, they wouldn't dare grab her by force and lock her up; she was stronger than them. Being an ace rookie for a baseball team had its perks. Secondly, if Kaede found out that they were the source of trouble, he'd only despise them even more. They would have to do the latter carefully.

The next day Hikaru was greeted by a strange gathering inside her classroom. Her classmates were around, though not crowding too much, her desk. As Hikaru made her way, her eyes widened upon seeing her desk and chair heavily soiled with mud. It was strange that this only happened to her desk and so when the teacher came in, Hikaru was asked to clean it.

Carrying a pile of books to the library, a suspicious foot stretched out, leading Hikaru to fall flat on her face with the books all over the floor. Some people who saw the scene broke the silent atmosphere and burst into laughter. Fortunately for Hikaru, a man bent over and helped her pick up the books.

"Here, let me help you with that" the man said

Upon hearing the voice, Hikaru immediately knew who it was. She looked up and blushed when she saw her Kogure-sempai smiling, picking up the scattered books.

"Sempai, I'm sorry that you have to do that" Hikaru blushed

"Oh no worries at all! How did you manage to fall off?"

"..." Hikaru was too mesmerized to even tell him the truth. "Just lost my balance, I guess"

From afar, Chiro and her other henchgirls were eying the two with ridicule.

And to top that, the day of hell wasn't over for Hikaru. Remembering that she had forgotten her Science book and homework, she ran back to the classroom only to see Chiro and her friends looking outside the window next to her seat. She ran to them, pushing them aside, and saw her papers and book falling to a puddle below. However, the basketball team happened to be running laps and passed by the puddle. The girls stopped laughing when they saw Kaede bend down to retrieve the Science book and papers. He recognized the awful handwriting to be Hikaru's and concluded his assumption when he saw her initials on the side of the book. Kaede looked up and saw Hikaru with Chiro and the rest of the trio. Chiro and her friends backed out when Kaede saw them, leaving Hikaru by the window.

"Ru- I mean Kaede, that's mine" Hikaru called out, waving at him

"I know it's yours because of the awful handwriting" He replied with his monotonous voice. Engrossed with Hikaru's dilemma, Kaede forgot that the team was running some lapses.

"Just a second, I'm coming down to get them"

Hikaru ran past the girls and met Kaede at the bottom in no time. He wondered why Hikaru's notes made their way to the ground but Hikaru gave him no answer.

"Go back to your basketball 'cause you guys need to train double time now" she smiled and headed for the opposite direction

Indeed, Shohoku basketball team was more than fired up now, after losing that game against Ryonan and the return of their ace Ryota Miyagi. The basketball team's spirits were all pumped up. Kaede followed on, looking at Hikaru and then eying the three figures watching her from the top window.

"those idiots better leave her alone…"

**This one's kinda short and not too interesting. But, please keep reading on :) thanks again!**

**Don't forget to drop a comment**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

***insert usual disclaimer***

Hikaru's practice had finished just a little bit after basketball practice ended. Since Ayako had to go help a classmate with homework, Hikaru went on home ahead.

On her way to the train station, Hikaru passed by a little food stall by a corner. She bought some dumplings for herself and Ayako before walking onwards. Suddenly, she was cornered by a couple of large guys. These guys were in uniform and they had a smug look on their faces. Instead of quivering and running away, Hikaru stared blankly at them.

"Don't act like you don't know us, punk!" yelled out one of the guys

Then suddenly, Hikaru realized that there were four of them now. Now she remembered who they were, after seeing their leader Hotta Nori. The four didn't look so angry though, but rather very sly and malicious.

"Oh, now I remember" Hikaru said calmly. "You were those guys I beat up last time" she smiled

"Why you!" Hotta was getting annoyed now. "We're here for you missy and you'll have to pay!"

Suddenly Hikaru wasn't feeling comfortable and she backed up only to find herself against the wall. She was cornered and she had no way out unless she'd fight them again. Without much choice, she dropped her bags and eyed everyone of them. "One, two… so it's the very same four people then?"

They were all trying hard to contain their annoyance but Hikaru managed to tingle a nerve in them and one fired a fist towards Hikaru. "I don't care if you're a girl!"

Fast reflexes and all, Hikaru avoided that punch and returned it with a good old kick but she lost her balance and slipped to the ground. One of the guys grabbed her uniform from behind and hooked her up to her feet. Poor Hikaru, she looked like a coat hung on a high hook as she struggled to break free. The guys laughed at her as they poke around and played with her uniform. Two guys held her arms while Hotta stood still in front of her.

"You don't look so tough now, do you?" Hotta sniggered at her "Know what, you don't look so bad from this angle"

Hikaru was not only disgusted, but she was annoyed and pissed off too. She hated looking so defenseless in front of others who made fun of her. One of the guys started touching her and she kicked him out of reflex. "Don't touch me!" she yelled. They only laughed harder.

"I like this one. She's feisty" Hotta sneered at her

Fortunately for Hikaru, help came sooner than expected.

"Let her go, do'aho" emerged a cold, monotone voice from behind. Hikaru's eyes gleamed when she heard the familiar monotone voice.

"Kaede!"

"Not you again?!" cried out one of the guys whom Kaede had beaten up before for rudely disturbing his slumber

Kaede easily dealt with the gang and they scampered away. He helped Hikaru pick up her things. His face had the usual stone-cold expression but Hikaru could tell he was worried.

"Thanks for coming to my aid Ru-chan although I was just about to give them a beating of my own" she smiled

"You should have waited for me and I could have accompanied you"

"Eh? Sorry I didn't know you ended practice already. I thought you guys would do an extra hour"

"What sort of trouble did you cause them?"

Hikaru could only smile weakly at him because she didn't dare tell Kaede about her fight with Hotta Nori's gang of seniors. "I guess I annoy them too much" she replied hastily, trying to avoid any further discussions on the matter. "Anyway, how was basketball practice?"

"Same"

"A-and were you on the same team as Kogure-sempai?" Hikaru blushed. "Ah, I mean was it seniors versus freshmen?"

"Kogure-sempai? No, we were on opposing teams. Why do you ask about him?" Somehow, Kaede found it strange to see his best friend blush over mentioning a guy's name…

"It's n-nothing really! What about Hanamichi?" Hikaru quickly changed topic and hid her ever blushing face

"What is it with Kogure-sempai?"

Hikaru blushed everytime Kaede mentioned Kogure's name but so far, only Ayako knew about her innocent crush. Maybe she should tell her best friend as well. But what if he'd tell Kogure too? No, she decided not to keep secrets from her best friend.

"Ru-chan, if I tell you, will you promise not to repeat it to anyone else?"

"What is it?"

"I-I, I" Hikaru couldn't let the words out. "I like Kogure-sempai! I've had this crush on him since the day I slipped into your locker room. He helped me with my stuff and even led me to our locker room. He's really nice" Hikaru began laughing as she felt confident in spilling all the details to her best friend.

Kaede's eyes widened in shock. Did he hear her right? A crush on Kiminobu Kogure? This was the first time Hikaru's expressed her feelings on a crush. Probably her first crush since ever.

"Y-you have a crush on Kogure-sempai? W-why?"

"Oh Ru-chan, he may not be the best looking guy in Kanagawa but he's really nice and always smiling. Plus, his glasses are adorable and he's a real gentleman" Hikaru gushed

Kaede's heart throbbed as he listened throughout Hikaru's talk. She didn't realize how long she had been talking until Kaede stopped in his tracks.

"Train station" he said, acknowledging the signboard

"Ah, didn't realize how fast time flies. Anyway, thanks again for saving me Ru-chan. See yah tomorrow. Ja ne" she smiled and waved at him. Kaede waved back and turned away. "Oh and Ru-chan, please don't tell anyone"

He walked uneasily to his house, thinking about everything that Hikaru said earlier. _It's only just a crush. I've been with her since junior high,_ he thought to himself.

**Author: (sips delicious iced tea) Ah jealousy. Such an interesting emotion, neh?**

**Kaede: (usual stone face) Do'aho, I'm NOT jealous**

**Author: (laughs cheekily) Oh Kaede, it's pretty obvious. Besides, I'm not the only one who know you love love love Hikaru (laughs hysterically)**

**Kaede: (chibi mode) I'll kill you in your sleep**

**Author: (pats Kaede) It's sad, isn't it? Sana alam niya na mahal mo siya. Baka sakali, mamahalin ka rin niya (laughs even more)**

**Kaede: (chibi mode) ?**

**How was it guys? comments and critiques are welcomed and appreciated ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Ru-ka-wa! Ru-ka-wa! L-O-V-E Rukawa!"

It was the first round of the Inter High tournament in Kanagawa. Shohoku were playing Miuridai but the regular lineup was benched by Coach Anzai. Kaede, Hanamichi, Ryota and Mitsui were all sitting impatiently on the bench. Thanks to the fight incident last week, Coach Anzai had to punish his star players for their misbehavior.

Hikaru, still wearing her baseball uniform from practice, sat alongside Haruko and Sakuragi's gang. They cheered on loudly for Shohoku despite the lead by Miuridai. When Kogure successfully landed a three-point shot, Shohoku cheered.

"Amazing shot Kogure-sempai!" Hikaru called out, having hearts in her eyes

"Megane-kun!" Sakuragi's gang joined in

Kaede heard the voice and looked up to the crowd. While the cheerleaders screamed, thinking he was looking at them when he wasn't, Hikaru waved at him. He blushed and quickly looked away. He, along with the other three idiots, was waiting impatiently to be put into the match. After some time, Coach Anzai decided to change players. Everyone, except Akagi left the court. Rukawa's fangirls screamed as he entered the court.

"Rukawa-kun, Sakuragi-kun, gambatte!" Haruko called out, blushing as she looked at Kaede

"Ha-Haruko-san!" Hanamichi beamed with happiness and made a victory sign towards Haruko but her vision clearly was on Kaede now.

"Go for it Ru, er I mean, Kaede!" Hikaru waved and smiled

_'That baka, always forgetting not to call me Ru-chan in public_' Kaede thought to himself as he looked plainly at Hikaru, trying to hide his blush. He then looked at Kogure, who was cheering them on while sitting on the bench.

"Fight Shohoku, fight!"

_'Oh Ru-chan, he's really nice and always smiling'_, Hikaru's words played back on his mind. _Always smiling…_

BUZZZZ!

The game ended with Shohoku taking the victory. Shohoku cheered and jumped, while Kaede just stood there watching them. As they headed outside the gym, Kaede left his team and met up with Hikaru. Haruko and the Sakuragi goon squad saw the two walk away from the group.

"Hmm… wonder where they're going?" Takamiya asked suspiciously, smirking as well

"They're always together or something?"

"Actually, they've been friends since junior high" Haruko told them, trying to deny the fact that Hikaru and Kaede really did look good together.

Yohei and the others eyed Haruko and gave her the _what-the-hell?-are-you-serious _look. "Hmm? Friends?" they chorused.

"Oi, where's Rukawa gone to now?" Miyagi asked, noticing that their ace was nowhere in the group

"He left with my sister" Ayako smiled cheekily. "I think they're going back to school or they're both hungry and decided to eat without us"

"I have noticed Aya-chan, that Rukawa and Hikaru-san are really close"

"Well what do you expect? They've been friends since Junior high"

IN THE BASKETBALL GYM

Kaede was dribbling the ball before he ran from one end to other and made a smashing dunk. He dunked it so hard that the board shook and the sound echoed throughout the gym. Meanwhile, Hikaru sat on one corner and did half of his assignment for him.

"Ru-chan, we're supposed to finish your Math homework! C'mon and sit down" Hikaru scolded her friend, sounding very much like a mother scolding a child.

Kaede succumbed to defeat and sat close to Hikaru, who was busy writing. She was unaware that he was looking at her intently. He looked at her from the side of her face down to her neck, then lower and lower until he blushed before turning his attention on the homework. He was surprised at himself! _Damn it Kaede, don't be a pervert_.

"See, it's not at all that difficult. Just remember that the value would always correspond to the…" Hikaru's jab about the Math homework was cut short by a soft snore. A vein popped out of her head as she clenched her fist, snapping the pencil in half. "Do'aho. Bakame Ru-chan. Ru-chan wake uuuuuup!"

Kaede jerked up from his 'nap' when Hikaru punched him on the head. A mound could be seen emerging out and he rubbed his hand over it, feeling the pain. "Did you answer them all?"

"Why you…" another vein popped out of Hikaru's head again. "I ALREADY ANSWERED HALF OF YOUR HOMEWORK FOR YOU. WHY THE HECK SHOULD I ANSWER THEM ALL?!"

Kaede stared at her, poker face and all, then back to his homework and felt guilty. He took the half-broken pencil and began writing on his notebook. He then showed a page of the problems to Hikaru, who analyzed it and concluded that he at least got one correct on his own. She sobered down and laughed at the homework. "I like it when you try, Ru-chan" Hikaru smiled and pat him on the head. Kaede looked and saw her smiling eyes, and beaming smile. What he'd give to always see her like that. He eyed her lips as they moved, then he looked at her hazelnut eyes. Hikaru's words were swirling inside Kaede's head as he was lost in her eyes and lips. He bent over, unaware of his own actions, closer to her.

"Did you hear what I said Ru-chan?" Hikaru turned around and caught Kaede in the middle of his act. "What the heck are you doing? I don't think you were listening at all"

Kaede jerked backwards, thankful for the interruption. His heart was pounding and he feared she would hear it too. "You, you have something on you" he said, pointing at her collar. As Hikaru looked to where Kaede was pointing, he flicked his finger up her nose.

"Hey!" Hikaru winced as she cupped her nose with her hands "Kaede Rukawa!"

Kaede didn't laugh but his lips did curl upwards. He smiled at Hikaru's reaction and remembered why exactly he had a crush on her back in junior high. "You're so uptight today" he said in his usual monotone voice.

"Well Ru-chan, you're always so glum and cold"

_Glum and cold… She called me cold?_

"You know, you should smile more Ru-chan"

**Author: See? I told you you should smile**

**Kaede: (evil eyes) Urusai!**

**Author: (chibi mode) okay, oay I'll shut up... Ru-chan (laughs cheekily)**

* * *

don't forget to leave a comment or critique my beloved readers :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

6:30 am… He woke surprisingly earlier today. Shohoku was now in the second round of the tournament and it was not like Kaede to be nervous. Actually, it wasn't match that made him nervous, it was a certain person. Hikaru's advice stuck to him since last night. It was like she was comparing him to Kogure. _Smile more? What else is there to smile about?_

Kaede shoved the question off and went outside. Since it was early, he decided to get up for some warm ups. Up on his bike, he drove off, not falling asleep (wow!)

In the park, there were only very people jogging and walking their dogs. What really caught his attention was the sound of a steel bat hitting something, and the grunts of a girl. _Baseball…_ He stopped and peered from behind a tree and saw Hikaru swinging her bat towards a rubber tire, as was basic practice for baseball. He saw the sweat trickling down the side of her face which seemed to glow from the sun. Her well-toned physique and tough aura hid the gentle, vulnerable girl inside of her. Kaede could tell she was only putting out that mask in order to create her own identity and not be labeled as her sister's 'sister'.

Hikaru took a break and drank from her water. Big gulps came down her throat as she wiped off the last drops on her lips. From the corner of her eye, she saw him standing behind the tree. She smiled at herself and pretended not to know he was there behind the tree.

"I sure wish someone was here. It sucks being alone" she said out loud, purposely trying to let Kaede hear

_Shimatta. She knows I'm here_

Stepping out of the shadows and into the light, Kaede made himself visible. He stood there, 187cm, with a towel hung over his neck. Hikaru greeted him with her cheery smile and motioned for him to come over.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Ru-chan" she smiled warmly at him. Kaede felt her smile penetrate through his cold aura and melt his cold heart. He turned pink in the cheeks.

"Hey. You're up early" he replied, seeing how great she looked at her sports outfit

"What about you? You're earlier than usual. Doesn't your match start at 10?"

"…"

Hikaru walked over to her bag and produced a basketball much to Kaede's surprise. She started dribbling it. "Wanna play? I've been practicing too you know"

And so the duel began with Hikaru dribbling and teasing Ru-chan. He eyed the ball steadily, debating upon himself whether to go easy on her or not. Hikaru dribbled again, dribbling faster and running around Kaede before heading towards the hoop. Suddenly, Kaede flashed before her eyes and was already blocking her in no time. He moved fast, too fast and Hikaru found it difficult to even get past him. They fought for the ball but Hikaru held her own and prevented Kaede from snatching it away. But Kaede was quick and he managed to touch the ball, allowing it to slip from her hands. Now Kaede had the ball and he did a three-pointer.

"Damn it Ru-chan. I've been practicing and yet I can't get past you" Hikaru laughed at herself, catching her breath

Kaede passed her the ball again and she dribbled. Now that Kaede was leading 11-0, Hikaru was determined to make a dunk over his head. She swished and swooshed past him gracefully and ran towards the hoop. Kaede, realizing his mistake, run after her. Hikaru made a giant leap towards the basket, ball firmly in her hand. She aimed for the hoop and slammed it with all her strength. Next thing she knew the ball slipped off her hand and she was on top of Kaede. They were on the hard concrete. Unfortunately, Hikaru failed at her dunk as the ball hit the rim rather than inside and she lost balance, fell hard on Kaede instead.

Kaede couldn't process the whole situation immediately. All he knew was that Hikaru was on top of him, his eyes staring into hers. For a moment they were still but Hikaru immediately rolled over and lay on the concrete.

"Damn it Ru-chan" she laughed. "I'll never be as good in basketball as I am in baseball"

"Is this what it's all about? You want to beat me in basketball?"

"Don't be silly Ru-chan, of course not. I just wanna show-" Hikaru started blushing again as she held her tongue back. Kaede looked at her monotonously. He was curious too. "I-I, wanna impress Kogure-sempai with my knowledge in basketball"

_Impress him? Why? She didn't have to go so far_, Kaede thought to himself. "What knowledge?"

"Teme Ru-chan!" she glared at him and pouted. "You'll never understand me cause you've never had a crush on anyone"

"Girls"

"Have you ever had a crush on anyone, Ru-chan? C'mon you can be honest with me" Hikaru teased him, poking him around until he gave in from his silent, stone-faced figure.

"I do, but I don't think she'll ever like me back" he responded and stood up, looking away

Hikaru watched him as he walked out, still confused at what her best friend meant.

**Author: (rubs chin) Hmm... you gave her hint. That's an improvement**

**Kaede: ...**

* * *

Hey you. Yeah you! You the one reading this. Yes, you're and awesome reader and this chapter's for you. Hope you enjoyed. (*insert 'peace' sign)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Yess! Final exams are over and I've got two weeks of freedom before summer term begins again (darn Nursing school)... I've still got a lot to work on for this fic so updating won't be as fast... please enjoy**

Shohoku were up against Tsukubu. This time, Hikaru wasn't in among the crowd to cheer the team on. Just across town, they were also having their first game for the girls' qualifiers.

_Shohoku High vs. Nishi High_

Shohoku were down by three runs and Hikaru was up next to bat. She held her grip tight, estimating how much she had to run in order to score. There were runners on the first and second bases and three batters before her were struck out. No, she wasn't going to be let down. It was only the third inning and still the first round of the tournament. It was far too early for Shohoku to lose. The pitcher bounced the ball in her hand before positioning herself. _Is she throwing a curveball, fastball or forkball?_ Hikaru thought. The pitcher swung her body fully and threw a good fastball.

"Strike one!" the umpire called out.

The ball was too fast and it caught Hikaru by surprise. Nishi High was no ordinary team; they were number six last year. No matter, Shohoku weren't intimidated by them.

The pitcher swung another fastball and Hikaru managed to hit it this time. Hikaru swung hard and sent the ball halfway across the field as she and her teammates ran for the bases. Nishi players were fast and the third baseman had caught the ball. Luckily, Hikaru was safe and Shohoku had now scored two runs. _One run behind_

"Nice hit Hikaru!" Sakura yelled and clapped her hands

"Our president's really into this tournament, isn't she?" said one of the sophomores

"Of course. Ever since that _he_ came back an rejoined the basketball team, she's also been fired up"

After a grueling hour under the sun, Shohoku won the last inning by two runs and they qualified for the next round. Hikaru checked her watch to see if the basketball team was still playing. Turns out they were already finished and Hikaru was excited to hear the news from Ru-chan.

_That afternoon…_

Hikaru had gone home to take a shower and rest her aching feet. Checking the time and seeing that it was still 3:30pm, she decided to go for a jog before dinner. She put on her running shorts, popped her earphones and headed for the door.

"Hi-chi, be back by dinner or you'll miss my curry!" Ayako called out

"Course I will Aya-chan. I'll be back in an hour"

Hikaru jogged off to the park and only stopped to get a drink from a nearby fountain. She jogged some more as the music played on. Because the music kept her preoccupied, Hikaru was unaware of the uneven crack on the concrete. She lost her balance and tripped on a crack. She thought she'd bruise herself again but fortunately, someone had caught her. Hikaru turned to see her savior only to freeze and blush.

"K-K-Kogure sempai, I'm sorry. I wasn't-"

"That's all right. You should really be careful" the guy chuckled

BY all means, was luck on her side today? Not only did her team win, but she also bumped, no I mean fell, on her crush's arms. He smiled at her and she smiled back, trying to keep calm.

"I heard you guys had a great victory against Tsukubu sempai" Hikaru blushed, trying to open up a conversation after he had helped her up.

"Well, the guys did a great job. What about your team? How was it?" smiled the senior

"We're going through the next round"

"Hey, wanna go grab some ice cream? My treat"

Hikaru blushed even harder, and how could she not? Kogure was asking her out, or so she concluded to herself, and offered ice cream. How could she say no to that?

"Uhm, I wouldn't want to bother you sempai" she replied shyly

"No you won't. Think of it as a victory celebration" chuckled the senior. Seriously, he couldn't tell that Hikaru was head over heels for him?

Hikaru's heart beat wildly as they jogged side by side towards the nearby café. They took a table near the glass window and Kogure ordered two large chocolate and vanilla sundaes. Hikaru was nervous yet happy at the same time as she sat in front of her sempai.

"So Hikaru, what do you wanna talk about?"

"ah, huh?"

"It'll be funny if we just sat quietly and not talk to each other for the whole time, now wouldn't it?"

Hikaru chibi blushed and looked down on her lap. She was thinking of a good conversation starter but nothing would come out.

"Uhm, so how long have you been playing basketball sempai?" Hikaru finally spoke. She knew that was a stupid question, and she was ready for it to be dismissed, but Kogure didn't mind at all

"Well, I've been playing for as long as I can remember but I never thought I'd take it this seriously though" he smiled

"What do you mean?"

"At first I only played basketball to improve my stamina. But in junior high, I met Takenori and my views changed"

Surprisingly enough, Hikaru managed to ease down and talk more. Kogure was always smiling and chuckling so the atmosphere was pretty cozy. After some grueling minutes of one-sided questions from Kogure, their orders arrived. Hikaru tried hard to divert her attention to something else but she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Say, have you always been the tallest in your group Hikaru? I mean, for a fifteen year old, you're pretty tall"

_Pretty tall… Pretty… tall…_ those words lingered in Hikaru's head as she smiled shyly at him.

"Actually in junior high, I was only about 148 cm. I only started growing in our last year"

Soon enough, Hikaru was able to hold her own in their conversation and they talked for almost an hour before Hikaru realized the time. It was already quarter past five.

"Shimatta! I'm sorry sempai but I promised Ayako I'd be home in an hour but I lost track of time" Hikaru said, dreading why she even promised her sister she'd be home early. She wanted badly to spend more time with Kogure but it was getting late.

"Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you. My bad" He stood up. "I'll walk you to the train station" he smiled

Hikaru felt her heart beat twice as fast. _I can't possibly have a heart attack right now._ The two walked out of the café and were surprised to see two familiar faces.

"Kogure? What are you- Hikaru?" It was Mitsui and he looked surprised. He was with a beautiful girl

"Hikaru-chan? Kogure-kun!" cried the girl as she smirked at the two

"S-Sakura sempai and Mitsui-sempai? What are you two doing here?" asked the befuddled Hikaru, whose face was turning pink

"I should ask you the same thing. I'm here tutoring this idiot who's having a difficulty with his physics" replied the girl

"Kogure, you two are going out now?" Mitsui asked slyly

Hikaru felt her blood rush as her faced instantly turned red as a tomato. "Nani?! No it's-"

"We bumped into each other at the park. We just came for some ice cream" smiled the Megane

"Oh, for a minute I thought you guys were together" the girl, Sakura, smiled cheekily. She knew Hikaru had a crush on Kogure and she wanted to tease her a bit

"Sempai!"

"Calm down Hikaru-chan" Sakura laughed. "You look so cute when you blush. Anyways, see you guys tomorrow. This moron still needs to study"

Kogure smiled and waved at the two while Hikaru gave her fiery chibi gaze towards the two sempais who waved back. Now they headed for the train station. After what Sakura had said earlier, Hikaru felt slightly uncomfortable and nervous with Kogure. She didn't want him to know that she liked him but he was no idiot. _Does he know?_

They got to the train since they were heading for the same direction, Hikaru getting down two stops ahead. Inside the train, Hikaru was quiet until Kogure spoke up.

"Hey, sorry about those two. Don't listen to them" Kogure smiled

"N-no it's no problem sempai" Hikaru blushed even harder because Kogure was actually sitting close to her

"Hikaru, your face is red. Do you have a fever?" Kogure asked, FINALLY noticing her redness. He placed a hand over her forehead. Hikaru blushed even more

"S-sempai, n-no I'm not"

"Are you sure? I hope so. I don't wanna send you home with a fever"

"I'm fine K-Kogure sempai"

Some guys came in from the stop. There were three of them and they looked like trouble but Kogure and Hikaru paid no attention to them. Kogure only felt uncomfortable when he caught a glimpse of one of the men eying Hikaru maliciously. Some guy with weird hair looked at Hikaru's legs before smirking at his companion.

The train stopped again and Hikaru dreaded to step down and say goodbye to Kogure. She still paid no attention to the smug men looking at her.

"Bye Kogure-sempai. Thanks for the ice cream" She managed to smile and got off the train.

"Take care!"

Hikaru blushed when she heard him and waved with a wide grin. The three men followed her and Kogure didn't look pleased. Seconds before the door closed, Kogure pushed himself against the incoming crowd and ran after them.

Hikaru walked on, happily reflecting at her afternoon's events: the collision with Kogure, their ice cream and the little tease from her Sakura-sempai. _I think she and Mitsui-sempai look cute together_, she thought as she whistled along. Suddenly, three men cornered her, interrupting her daydream.

"Hey there miss. You look pretty lonely" said one

"It's not safe for a pretty girl to be walking around all alone"

"Why don't you come with us? We'll keep you company"

The men started laughing at each other. _Three stooges. These are worse than Hotta-sempai and his gang_. Hikaru stopped walking and stood still. She looked at them indifferently and showed no sign of fear.

"Get lost. I'm in a hurry" Hikaru hissed

"Oh c'mon don't be a party pooper. We just wanna have some fun" said their leader as he placed an arm around her shoulder

Hikaru flinched upon smelling the alcohol in his breath. "Don't you dare touch me" she cursed coolly under her breath. They started laughing

"I like this girl. She's a feisty one"

Hikaru was about to insult them again when one of the men slithered his hand down her back. Getting pissed off, Hikaru grabbed the man's arm and twisted it. The men wrenched in pain and cursed at Hikaru. "Damn you!"

The other two grabbed Hikaru's arms and held her back. She was now in big trouble. These guys seemed stronger than Hotta and his gang, which she so easily beat up before. These guys were more dangerous.

"Don't keep moving girl! We won't hurt you" he laughed

Hikaru struggled against the two men who were obviously stronger than her. _Damn, I should have taken judo lessons from Aota-sempai_.

"Get your filthy hands off her!"

Everyone stopped and turned to see where the voice came from. At first Hikaru thought it would be Kaede again, but to everyone's surprise, it was a bespectacled boy who didn't have a very large built. The men started laughing at Kogure.

"Is this your boyfriend?! What a joke!" they all started laughing

Kogure was serious when he told them to get off Hikaru but the guys ignored him. Fed up, Kogure charged towards them and punched the leader right on the face. Hikaru gasped in shock. However, the punch wasn't strong enough and the leader got back up to his feet.

"Why you- get lost freak!" he cursed and hit Kogure in the face. His glasses fell off and his nose started to bleed.

Hikaru was now angrier than ever. Seeing Kogure beat up by some freakshow powered her up. With all her strength, she tossed the two men over her shoulder. She kicked them and punched them until the leader scampered away. The two men followed him, leaving Hikaru and Kogure alone.

"Kogure-sempai, are you all right?!" she asked, running to his side

"I-I'm fine" He smiled weakly. "What about you? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

_He actually came to rescue me. He cares for me._

"Iie, I'm fine. It's you who doesn't look too good" Hikaru helped Kogure up and handed him his glasses. "Sempai, come over for dinner. It's the least I can do"

"That sounds kind of you but I wouldn't-"

"I won't take 'no' for an answer Sempai" Hikaru interrupted and grabbed his hands. "C'mon! Ayako makes amazing curry"

They made way for Hikaru's place. She quietly opened the door, very much expecting and angry Ayako to greet her when they got in. And she was right.

"Where the heck have you been? You said you'd be back in an hour. My curry's gone cold and-" Ayako's rampage was cut short when she saw Kogure. "Sempai? What are you doing with- I mean what happened to you?"

"Don't get mad at Hikaru. It was my fault because I talked her into getting an ice cream with me and…"

He couldn't help but hear the commotion by the door so he decided to walk over. He was more than surprised to see his sempai, bruised in the face, with his best friend.

"Ru-chan? What are you doing here?"...

**Kaede: before you jump to conclusions, I wasn't stalking her**

**Author: Bullcrap Kaede... You were following them around. Nyahahaha!**

**Kaede: I will kill you in your sleep**

**r&r guys!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Yes I'm back after 12098215716471 years. sorry to keep you guys waiting. I've had this whole mental block thing and took quite some time to carry on. After this chapter, I'll be uploading a short "filler" just for the sake of it...**

**#I know own SD. nyahahaha! *gets hit in the face by Inoue-sama* Sorry, sorry! I'm just kidding**

Hikaru, despite the unending ring of her alarm clock, was in deep sleep that even Ayako's loud thundering voice and knocking on the door couldn't get her up. She was just too happy at what happened the night before and she drooled in her sleep.

"My knight in shining…glasses…armor" she murmured with a smile on her sleeping face

Ayako stormed inside and pulled the sheets off Hikaru. Hikaru curled up, still having her eyes shut, and curse at Ayako. "Shimatta! The scowling terminator has arrived in rage"

"It's eight o' clock, you idiot! If you're not getting up, I'm leaving without you"

Hikaru sat up and rubbed her eyes. Instead of seeing a mechanical assassin, she saw Ayako all dressed up. "Aya-chan? You're up early. What time is it?" she yawned.

A visible vein popped out of Ayako's fist as she slammed a pillow right onto Hikaru's face. "If you'll be late, you won't get to see your knight as he walks into school" she teased and sashayed her way out of the door.

Hikaru blinked several times before looking at her alarm clock and was in panic mode the second she saw the time. "SHIMATTAAAAA!"

She rushed to get dressed with her superhuman speed (which only comes out when she's running late). Meanwhile, Ayako was getting impatient. "I'll go ahead. See you in school"

"Aya-chaaaaan!"

Too late. Ayako had already gone out. Hikaru packed her things, making sure she left no baseball thing behind, and grabbed her halfdone math assignment. As she dashed out of the house, after bidding their mother _goodbye_, the rain suddenly poured in. In her frantic hurry, she paid no attention and skated as fast as she could to the station. Inside the train, people cleared away from the drenched and angry Hikaru.

She dashed for Shohoku High, speeding up past others and a sleepy bicycle man (yup, you know who!). Hikaru checked her watch, 8:57…As she walked through the hallway, people cleared out in a frantic manner (she was wearing a scary face today which showed that she was really pissed off) plus the fact that she was drenched in rainwater.

Arriving in class, she took her seat and opened her bag only to find out that her homework was also drenched in water. Hikaru cursed out loud even the teacher, who had just walked in, heard her.

"Miss Izumi, you're dripping wet…" she paused and shut up when Hikaru turned her deadly gaze at her. "Er, g-go change into something dry. You'll cause accidents walking around dripping wet"

Hikaru looked like a zombie as she walked out of the classroom to change and came back in her PE uniform. Some boys whistled as she walked in with her PE shorts and she immediately strangled the culprit. This was the start of a really bad day for her. When the bell rang for lunch break, she still maintained her zombie look and everyone, even Haruko, kept away from her. Hikaru felt embarrassed at having to parade around in her PE uniform and decided to find an isolated spot.

"The rooftop won't do. It's drenched in rain and I need some place dry" She walked further on and decided to eat her lunch in the school gym. Good thing too, since it was completely empty and dry. Hikaru made way for the second floor and sat herself on a corner. Much to her further disappointment, she had ONCE AGAIN left her lunch at home thanks to her frantic hurry and carelessness. "Kami-sama, why is this happening to me?!"

* * *

"Hey do'ahou. What are you doing up here?"

_That voice… that same cold, unfeeling voice_. Hikaru turned around and saw Kaede who looked surprisingly stunned as he gazed at Hikaru. "Hey Ru-chan" she smiled. "You're the only one who ever calls me that"

_Sh-she's wearing her PE shorts… I never really noticed how long and great her legs looked. And her ass… Stop it Kaede! _(A/N: Kaede, you perv…)

"W-what happened to your uniform?" he asked, trying to control his stammer

"Stupid Aya-chan, she couldn't wait for meeee!" Hikaru chibi cried and flung herself to the side railings. "I'm so clumsy and it just had to rain. Ru-chan, is Kami-sama trying to punish me for something? *sniff* What did I do wrong?"

Kaede sweatdropped. "You woke up late…"

"Urusai Ru-chan! It's not like you don't sleep in"

There was a moment of silence before a strange sound interrupted. Hikaru turned red when her stomach growled and growled endlessly. Kaede sweatdropped even more.

"You left your lunch too" he said in his usual monotone voice

"What? N-no I didn't" Hikaru shook her red face "I just had my lunch"

Kaede walked towards her and stared into her eyes. He moved closer and Hikaru slowly moved backwards. "K-Kaede, what are you doing?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders and made her sit down. He sat right beside her and pulled out a large bento from his duffle bag. Kaede laid it neatly in between them and gave Hikaru an extra pair of chopsticks. Hikaru was in a state of shock at his gesture. "My, my Ru-chan you're such a gentleman" she teased

"I've known you since junior high so you can't lie to me. I know how you look like when you're hungry"

"You caught me"

"Besides, I never really got the chance to pay you back after you gave me your lunch that day"

The two of them began recalling that day when they first had an exchange of words and started giggling. (Kaede, giggling?!) Hikaru noticed Kaede trying to restrain his laugh.

"Ru-chan, it's nice to see you laugh" she smiled "You look ten times more adorable"

Kaede's cheeks turned pink at Hikaru's remark. He cleared his throat and went on eating his part of the bento. Hikaru didn't start eating yet and she kept staring at her friend. Kaede looked back at Hikaru and saw her smiling at him.

"Would you stop smiling like that?"

"I can't help it Ru-chan. You just made my day"

**...**


	14. filler

**Just some author's notes on the fic:**

I know I dislike Mary Sue characters, and so do some of you, but you guys might think Hikaru's becoming this Mary Sue. Let me describe Hikaru completely, missing no details in her persona:

-she's tall, heck yeah, for a regular girl ( I know Mary Sues also have good heights, but keep reading)

-yeah she's got long legs but they're not flawless Mary Sue legs. Since Hikaru's unfeminine, she likes to play rough sports (especially baseball) and she gets into quite a lot of accidents, giving her bruises and scratches. Imagine her long legs with a few bandages :)

-she doesn't have the usual "long, soft wavy brown curls that fall smoothly over her shoulders" (or however Mary Sue hairs are described). Hikaru's got dark, auburn short boyish hair that's usually uncombed and free like the wind ^_^ (imagine her hair short that is she dressed up like a boy, she'd be mistaken as Kaede's brother)

-she doesn't have big, beautiful eyes that contain strange colors. She's got normal eyes!

-Sure Hikaru's smart and athletic but she's not the best in her class. She's just good enough to be in the top five :) (so specific. haha) She's athletic all right, because she's more masculine than she is feminine. Other than those, she's horrible at other things

- she can't swim and cook. she can't keep her things always neat and tidy. she's clumsy when she's in a panicked hurry

-she's not boy crazy (except when she's crushing on Kogure)

-she isn't in "bad terms at first but later becomes surprisingly close" to Kaede. In fact, they're best friends and she sees him as his little brother at first

-she doesn't have a sweet feminine voice. Rather, a spiky and spunky, "be careful what you do" voice

-there aren't a flock of boys who admire her and worship her like a goddess. Sure some guys might think she can be hot or cute but they never fall for her. There is only ONE :)

- she's no damsel in distress and she doesn't cry too much

-she's tougher than most guys

-she's sharp-tounged

-she's got a legit connection with the basketball team (sister of Ayako, and duh, Kaede's bestfriend)

-she is unskilled in basketball (duh she's a baseball player) but she possess athleticism good enough to challenge Kaede

That's pretty much it. Sorry for having to write this crap. :)


End file.
